Startup Weekend returns to the Shenandoah Valley, and organizers are putting out the call for participants.

Shenandoah ValleyStartup Weekend takes place Feb. 7 – 9, 2014 in JMU’s Showker Hall. Starting on Friday night, experienced or novice entrepreneurs pitch their ideas and receive feedback from their peers. After voting to select the most promising ideas, teams are formed and spend the rest of the weekend in business modeling, coding, designing, and market validation. The event concludes with Sunday night pitches to local business leaders for additional feedback.

Startup Weekends began in Seattle, but the idea has spread throughout the world. The local event will be hosted by the Shenandoah Valley Innovation Coalition (SVIC), an alliance of business, government, and academic organizations. SVIC’s mission is to cultivate innovation, creativity, and economic development across the Shenandoah Valley.

Registration is required and the fee covers all meals. Early-bird fees of $75 for participants are in effect until Jan 15 when the fee changes to $99. Onlookers are encouraged to attend the Sunday evening presentations (free) — but seats are limited and registration is required for everyone.

Discussion

I’m not a big fan of this concept. But that’s probably from experience. We went through similar advice sessions years ago before founding Augusta Free Press, and were basically told that our concept would never work. And yet, here we are.

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